Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family
Title
Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family
Creator
Bouman, Jon Anthony, 1873-1958
Identifier
WWP23074
Date
1919 October 29
Description
Letter from Jon Bouman to his family.
Source
Gift of William C. and Evelina Suhler
Subject
Correspondence
Paris Peace Conference (1919-1920)
Contributor
Rachel Dark
Denise Montgomery
Language
English
Provenance
Evelina Suhler is the granddaughter of Jon Anthony Bouman and inherited the family collection of his letters from the years of World War I. She and her husband gave the letters to the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum in 2013.
Text
13 Place de la Bourse
Paris, Oct. 29, 1919
8 PM
Dearest,
I have just returned home from a meal consisting of eggs, a pair of kippers, toss (meaning toast) and “Thwinings Thea” and if the “Bar Royal” had not run out of “Marmelade anglaise” it would have been a complete “high” tea.
Before I forget it; I have written to the Notary in Middelburg (as it is the time when Franso’s annual payment falls due) to send the money to you; I have given your address, so you will probably receive a money order or cheque for something like £ 3.10.—If a money order, it will be payable at the G.P.O. but you need not go there; just cross it and pass it through your bank just the same as a cheque. And let me know, so that I can acknowledge receipt to the notary whose name is Van der Harst.
Since the hurried exchange of letters when Mrs. Bacon was supposed to be coming to Paris I have not heard from you. I do hope dearest you are keeping well – the weather is a bit trying just now for you: it is cold and wet here today, and when I don’t hear from you I am always worrying about your health. I daresay you do the same about me, which seems superfluous, as I am in very good trim, but of course you don’t know that until you are told.
Day by day we have been waiting for news about Roberts he ought to have arrived here days ago, instead of which he doesn’t seem to have left New York yet, owing to this confounded dockers’ strike. The Company tells us today that one liner, the La France, has sailed this way, so we hope that La Savoie, Roberts’ boat, will follow soon. We haven’t had any American mail here for over a fortnight, so there will be a rare accumulation.
I am glad you liked the Alsatian frieze, and I hope the girls liked their St. Catherine’s bonnets. I have got a book for Bill of French history in simple elementary language, with small pictures which would be very useful in improving his French. Of course the girls can borrow it too, and study it if they like. I am often wondering how you spend your evenings now that the winter season is upon us and if you are getting visitors to pass the time. I am glad you have the piano anyway. Of course I am always at the office, so I can’t spend any money. I do some useful work, except on Fridays, when I go to a picture show. I wanted to hear a good concert last Sunday afternoon, but when I got there found there were no seats under 9 francs, so I said nay. Sunday evening I went to see the Grundys just back from their holidays on the Brittany coast, where they had very good weather. They made a trip to Jersey and seem to have enjoyed it very much. Mrs. Grundy comes from the Brittany coast and she has relations there.
Tell me if you have read “Joseph Vance” yet, I am rather curious to hear what you think of it.
The Grundys have got a new kind of stove for burning wood, it is like those round Dutch “column” stoves but it lies down instead of standing up; looks very shabby but Mrs. G. says it is doing well although the heat is less than coal. Every householder here is grumbling because coal is unobtainable; some restaurants had to close and gas and electricity are getting poor in quality. Just the same old Hague times over again!
Just this minute the boy comes in with your letter dated 28th which happily dissipates my fears. Yes, I shall put my winter things on next week; they are still old ‘uns darned up. But they won’t last much longer; the laundries destroy things here shamefully. My handkerchiefs are in tatters and socks are eaten through by chemicals in no time. Give Miss Rodgers my kind regards and thank Mary for her interesting letter, from which I see you are having an oil stove. I am also glad to see how well she is doing at school, her marks are very creditable I think. I trust Bill is getting more acclimated now, and likes his school. As a reward for Mary, I shall write her a story one of these days, entitled “The Bearded Lady of Louveciennes.” Most exciting!
With all my love, dearest,
Thine,
Jack
Paris, Oct. 29, 1919
8 PM
Dearest,
I have just returned home from a meal consisting of eggs, a pair of kippers, toss (meaning toast) and “Thwinings Thea” and if the “Bar Royal” had not run out of “Marmelade anglaise” it would have been a complete “high” tea.
Before I forget it; I have written to the Notary in Middelburg (as it is the time when Franso’s annual payment falls due) to send the money to you; I have given your address, so you will probably receive a money order or cheque for something like £ 3.10.—If a money order, it will be payable at the G.P.O. but you need not go there; just cross it and pass it through your bank just the same as a cheque. And let me know, so that I can acknowledge receipt to the notary whose name is Van der Harst.
Since the hurried exchange of letters when Mrs. Bacon was supposed to be coming to Paris I have not heard from you. I do hope dearest you are keeping well – the weather is a bit trying just now for you: it is cold and wet here today, and when I don’t hear from you I am always worrying about your health. I daresay you do the same about me, which seems superfluous, as I am in very good trim, but of course you don’t know that until you are told.
Day by day we have been waiting for news about Roberts he ought to have arrived here days ago, instead of which he doesn’t seem to have left New York yet, owing to this confounded dockers’ strike. The Company tells us today that one liner, the La France, has sailed this way, so we hope that La Savoie, Roberts’ boat, will follow soon. We haven’t had any American mail here for over a fortnight, so there will be a rare accumulation.
I am glad you liked the Alsatian frieze, and I hope the girls liked their St. Catherine’s bonnets. I have got a book for Bill of French history in simple elementary language, with small pictures which would be very useful in improving his French. Of course the girls can borrow it too, and study it if they like. I am often wondering how you spend your evenings now that the winter season is upon us and if you are getting visitors to pass the time. I am glad you have the piano anyway. Of course I am always at the office, so I can’t spend any money. I do some useful work, except on Fridays, when I go to a picture show. I wanted to hear a good concert last Sunday afternoon, but when I got there found there were no seats under 9 francs, so I said nay. Sunday evening I went to see the Grundys just back from their holidays on the Brittany coast, where they had very good weather. They made a trip to Jersey and seem to have enjoyed it very much. Mrs. Grundy comes from the Brittany coast and she has relations there.
Tell me if you have read “Joseph Vance” yet, I am rather curious to hear what you think of it.
The Grundys have got a new kind of stove for burning wood, it is like those round Dutch “column” stoves but it lies down instead of standing up; looks very shabby but Mrs. G. says it is doing well although the heat is less than coal. Every householder here is grumbling because coal is unobtainable; some restaurants had to close and gas and electricity are getting poor in quality. Just the same old Hague times over again!
Just this minute the boy comes in with your letter dated 28th which happily dissipates my fears. Yes, I shall put my winter things on next week; they are still old ‘uns darned up. But they won’t last much longer; the laundries destroy things here shamefully. My handkerchiefs are in tatters and socks are eaten through by chemicals in no time. Give Miss Rodgers my kind regards and thank Mary for her interesting letter, from which I see you are having an oil stove. I am also glad to see how well she is doing at school, her marks are very creditable I think. I trust Bill is getting more acclimated now, and likes his school. As a reward for Mary, I shall write her a story one of these days, entitled “The Bearded Lady of Louveciennes.” Most exciting!
With all my love, dearest,
Thine,
Jack
Original Format
Letter
To
Bouman Family
Files
Collection
Citation
Bouman, Jon Anthony, 1873-1958, “Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family,” 1919 October 29, WWP23074, Jon Anthony Bouman Collection, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.